Greek

Alphabets
&
Literature
 Greek
Alphabets
The Greek alphabet has been used to write the
Greek language since the late 9th or early 8th
century BCE. It is derived from the earlier
Phoenician alphabet, and was the earliest known
alphabetic script to have distinct letters for
vowels as well as consonants.
Origin of the
Greek
Alphabet
(According
to Herodotus
 Herodotus
's Recount
According to Herodotus. The alphabet was first introduced to
Greece by a Phoenician named Cadmus. The Phoenicians who
came with Cadmus amongst whom were the Gephyraei
introduced into Greece, after their settlement in the country, a
number of accomplishments, of which the most important was
writing, an art till then, unknown to the Greeks. At first they
[the Phoenicians] used the same characters as all the other
Phoenicians, but as time went on, and they changed their
language, they also changed the shape of their letters.
 Different
Variation
of the Greek
Alphabet
 Greek
Alphabets

In Archaic and early Classical times, the

Greek alphabet existed in many local
variants. including Euboan, Corinthian,
Ionic , etc...
 Ionic
Alphabets
Ionic alphabet, The Ionic Greek dialect, spoken
primarily in Ionia and some surrounding regions,
used the same alphabet as the rest of ancient
Greek, developed late in the 5th century BC. In
403 the Ionic alphabet used in the Anatolian city
of Miletus was adopted for use in Athens, and by
the middle of the 4th century the Ionic had
become the common, 24-letter, classical
Greek alphabet.
 Ionic
•
Literatue
Homeric Epics: The epic poems "Iliad"
and "Odyssey," attributed to the poet
Homer, were composed in a poetic
form of Ionic Greek.

• Herodotus' "Histories": Herodotus,

often referred to as the "Father of
History," wrote his famous historical
account, "The Histories," in Ionic
Greek.
 Aeolic
Alphabets
The Aeolic dialect is one of the ancient Greek
dialects that originated in the Aeolian region of
Greece. It was spoken primarily in areas such as
Lesbos, Boeotia, Thessaly, and parts of the
Peloponnese. The Aeolic dialect is part of the
broader Hellenic branch of the Indo-European
language family, which includes other Greek
dialects such as Attic, Ionic, and Doric.
 Aeolic
Literatue
• The "Theogony" is a poetic work
attributed to the ancient Greek poet
Hesiod. It is one of his most famous
and influential works, providing a
detailed account of the origins and
genealogies of the Greek gods and
goddesses. The word "Theogony" itself
means "birth of the gods" or
"genealogy of the gods."
Euclidean
Alphabets
In Archaic and early Classical times, the
Greek alphabet existed in many local
variants, but, by the end of the 4th century
BCE, the Euclidean alphabet, with 24
letters, ordered from Alpha to Omega, had
become standard and it is this version that
is still used for Greek writing today.
 The
Euclidean
Alphabet
 The
Euclidean
Alphabets
• Named after Euclid, the archon of
Athens responsible for its adoption.

• The classical Greek alphabet, a

modified form of the Ionic alphabet
adopted by Athens in 403 BC
following its defeat in the
Peloponnesian War.
The Greek
Mythology
According to Hesiod's Theogony, the origin of
the world can be traced back to the primordial
deities and forces.
At the beginning of time, there was
Chaos, an empty void or formless
state.
Out of Chaos emerged Gaia, the personification
of the Earth, and Uranus, the personification of
the Sky. They became the first divine couple.
Gaia and Uranus also
brought forth three
Cyclopes (one-eyed giants)
named Brontes, Steropes,
and Arges, and three
Hecatoncheires (hundred-
handed giants) named
Cottus, Briareos, and
Gyges.
and three Hecatoncheires
(hundred-handed giants)
named Cottus, Briareos,
and Gyges. They were
gigantic and had fifty
heads and one hundred
arms each of great
strength.
Uranus, fearful of the power of his children,
imprisoned the Cyclopes and Hecatoncheires
within Gaia. This act enraged Gaia, who enlisted
the help of her son Cronus. Cronus castrated
Uranus with a sickle given to him by Gaia, and
Uranus was dethroned.
Cronus married his sister Rhea, and together
they gave birth to the first generation of
Olympian gods. These included Zeus, Poseidon,
Hades, Hera, Demeter, and Hestia.
Fearing a prophecy that he would be overthrown
by his own children, Cronus swallowed each of
his offspring upon their birth.
However, Rhea managed to save Zeus by hiding
him and tricking Cronus into swallowing a stone
wrapped in swaddling clothes. Zeus, who had
been saved and raised in secret, grew up and
sought to fulfill the prophecy by overthrowing
Cronus and the Titans. He was aided by the
Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires, whom Cronus
had previously imprisoned.
The Cyclopes forged powerful weapons for
Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, while the
Hecatoncheires provided their massive strength.
Zeus led a rebellion against
Cronus and the Titans in a
ten-year war known as the
Titanomachy. The
Olympians emerged
victorious, and Zeus became
the new ruler of the cosmos.
!!!STILL WORKING!!!
 Euboan
Alphabets
The Euboean alphabet was used in the cities
of Eretria and Chalcis and in related
colonies in southern Italy, notably in Cumae
and in Pithecusae. It was through this
variant that the Greek alphabet was
transmitted to Italy, where it gave rise to the
Old Italic alphabets, including Etruscan and
ultimately the Latin alphabet.
 Euboan
Alphabets

Unfortunately, there are no surviving

literary texts exclusively in the Euboean
dialect, as it was not as prominent or well-
documented as other Greek dialects like
Attic or Ionic.
Corinthia
n
Alphabets
The Corinthian Greek dialect, spoken in
ancient Corinth and its surrounding regions,
is one of the many regional variations of the
Greek language. The Corinthian dialect,
like other Greek dialects, had its own
distinct features and pronunciation patterns
compared to the standardized Classical
Greek.
Corinthia
n
Alphabets
Like the Euboan Greek Alphabets, there are
no surviving extensive literary texts
exclusively in the Corinthian dialect, we do
have some inscriptions and fragments that
provide us with insights into its
characteristics.